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Mitsubishi 3000 GT - The sumo ballerina

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Created on November 14, 2022

Reading time 11min

Written by:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Chrysler/Stellantis

Mitsubhishi / Werk

Bruno von Rotz

Chrysler/Stellantis

Mitsubhishi / Werk

46 1

Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – in der Farbe "Panama Green Pearl"

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Die Dachlinie des Dodge Stealth ist im Glas erkennbar

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – schon ohne verstellbare Dämpfer

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – elektronisch auf 250 km/h begrenzt

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – schnell und komfortabel

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – schaut freundlicher als der Fahrer

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – die Mulde für das Nummerschild verrät das US-Modell

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – wenig aggressive Frontansicht

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – breit und niedrig

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – bis Ende 1998 lächelte er

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – für kleine Landstrassen und grosse Autobahnen

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Räder aus dem Zubehör

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – für den US-amerikanischen Markt entwickelt

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – ab 1994 mit Ellipsoid-Scheinwerfern unter einer lackierten Blende

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – die namensgebenden drei Diamanten

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – quer eingebauter Dreiliter-V6

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – in diesem Gedränge entstehen 286 PS

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – unter der Motorhaube geht es sehr, sehr eng zu

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – V6 mit 60 Grad Zylinderwinkel

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – ein Ansaugkrümmer erzählt

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Ja, die Motorhaube geht zu. Wenn auch knapp

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Ventildeckel mit Hinweis auf Hersteller, Bauform und Ventiltrieb

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Integrierte Wasserwaage zum justieren der Scheinwerfer

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Schematische Darstellung des Unterdrucksystems

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Relais- und Sicherungskasten mit aufgedrucktem Lageplan

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Lederlenkrad mit Radio-Fernbedienung

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Drehzahlmesser bis 9000, Tacho bis 290 km/h

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Instrumente für Wassertemperatur, Öldruck und Ladedruck

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Typisch japanische Mittelkonsole, schlicht und funktional

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Klimaautomatik serienmässig

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Radio mit Equalizer, Kassettendeck und CD-Wechsler

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Schriftzug aus simplen Klebebuchstaben

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – in die Schweiz geliefertes US-Modell mit roten Blinkern

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – niedrige, sehr breite Rückleuchten

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Vierflutige Abgasanlage mit dezentem, aber sportlichem Klang

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – Die Lufteinlässe vor dem Hinterrad sind nur Attrappe

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – ab 1994 mit Zweikolben-Bremssätteln hinten

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – auf Knopfdruck um 14 Grad verstellbarer Heckflügel

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 (1996) – der Heckflügel in seiner Ruheposition

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Mitsubishi 3000 GT HSX (1992) - die japanische Variante

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Dodge Stealth (1991) - der amerikanische Bruder

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Summary

If aerodynamics is for people who can't build engines, then lightweight construction is for engineers who can't design chassis. In the early nineties, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT weighed more than a mid-size sedan, but cornered like a Mini. Despite this, the nimble little chubby car never really managed to gain a foothold in Europe. For this article, we drove one of the few 3000 GTs that came to Switzerland and tell the story of the technology carrier and its twin brother, the Dodge Stealth. Of course, we also recorded the sound of the V6.

This article contains the following chapters

A Japanese car in disguise
166 to 305 hp
Fully equipped for Europe
Steer and think for yourself
Sumo on ice
Retreat

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Overweight! In its youth, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT was hardly ever criticized as often as for its immense corpulence. Today, when even the Porsche 911, celebrated for generations as a precision tool, clearly surpasses this mark in its most voluptuous version, an unladen weight of 1.7 tons is no longer a disgrace for a sports car. Of course, that was quite different 30 years ago. Perhaps this is because the 3000 GT is now far behind the Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra Twin Turbo in the eyes of Japanese enthusiasts, although it was once at least on a par with them in terms of technical sophistication.

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